Flatware

MISSING IN ACTION (MIA) forms

Missing In Action (or MIA) forms are an important part of Dr. M’s science classes.

If you come to class without one of your required (and completed) science assignments, you’ll need to fill out one of Dr. Merritt’s special Missing in Action or MIA forms. These forms help ensure that you are eligible to receive credit on any late assignment(s).

Munsell Color System

“MunsellColorWheel”. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Commons

The Munsell Color System is scheme for classifying colors based on three color dimensions: hue, value (lightness), and chroma (purity). Is was invented by Professor Albert H. Munsell in the early 20th century. Soil scientists began using it in the 1930s as the official color system for soil research, but nowadays many other scientists use it when they wish to compare the colors of insects, plants, rocks, and many other observable entities.

We sometimes use this PDF version in our science class, but by far the most useful version for use in both lab and field investigations is the Munsell Book of Soil Color Charts, like the one published by X-Rite, which has pre-punched holes to help make color identification more accurate.

Alternatives to the Munsell Color System include the Pantone Color System. Pantone produces the Pantone Color Guides, which often consists of a large number of small (approximately 6×2 inches or 15×5 cm) thin cardboard sheets, printed on one side with a series of related color swatches and then bound into a small deck that can be fanned to resemble a hand of playing cards. You might recall seeing versions of these in the painting sections of home improvement stores. Dr. Merritt keeps a laminated copy of the Pantone Matching System (PMS) Color Chart for student use in the classroom. If you want to, however, you can print your own from this 21-page PDF file.

SEED Magazine Crib Sheets

Seed Magazine

Back in 2005, Seed Magazine published an interesting, practical, factual set of “cribsheets,” which were designed to be quick reference cards for non-scientists seeking to learn more about a variety of contemporary scientific subjects, phenomena or processes. I’ve assembled the downloadable versions for you here.

Notetaking & Research

Below are links to downloadable templates that will assist you when doing different types of assignments. Remember, be sure to set your printer to its appropriate paper size (e.g., A4 or US 8.5″ x 11″).

Periodic Tables

Each of the periodic tables linked below were last updated in 2016, which means they include element numbers 113 (Nihonium – Nh), 115 (Moscovium – Mc), and 117 (Tennessine – Ts). All three of these elements were first reported by teams of scientists in 2003, but remained unnamed–at least officially–until 28 November 2016. All three of the periodic tables below were taken from www.sciencenotes.org.

Printable Molecules (Basic)

Working with atoms and molecules can be hands-on work

Modeling biological and chemical reactions is much more interesting and meaningful when moving individual atoms and/or molecules around with your eyes and hands. These cut-out paper templates will help you do exactly that.

IMPORTANT NOTES: (1) be sure you disable any “Shrink to fit” options when printing, and (2) accuracy with these rulers can be excellent, but it will largely depend on how your printer is set up, as well as the type of paper you use.

Printable Graph Paper

On the site linked HERE, you can customize the type of graph paper you would like to print and use. For example, you can choose different paper sizes as well as grid sizes (and grid units). I have already customized the two sizes that we will use most frequently in class:

Printable Lined Paper

On the site linked HERE, you can customize the type of lined paper you would like to print and use. For example, you can choose different paper sizes as well as line spacing. I have already selected some of the sizes that we will use most frequently in class:

Grading Rubrics

Dr. M has created some rubrics designed to help you consistently produce high-quality work. Many of these rubrics can be found sprinkled throughout the pages of the SCIENCEsEDiment website. However, since they are technically ‘flatware’ (i.e., paper-based), most of his existing rubrics are also linked here:

Specimen Sheets

When scientists go out into the world and come back to their laboratories, museums, institutes, and offices with specimens–both living and non-living–they must keep careful records regarding the collection of their specimens.

You can view and download the specimen sheet we sometimes use for TASIS insect projects HERE.

TASIS Campus Maps

They say a picture is worth a thousand words. If that’s true, then a good map must be worth at least ten thousand. In our class we’d have a hard time communicating with each other about the different parts of the TASIS campus without some sort of map.

The links below connect you to different types of TASIS campus maps that we’ve used over the years in our class projects and activities.

Time travel is possible…

Time travel is possible…

About the Site

Dr. Merritt

Although this site primarily aims to assist and support middle and high school science students and teachers, others are more than welcome to peruse (and use) it, of course. The design, content, and maintenance of SCIENCEsEDiment.com is the work of Brett Merritt, Ph.D., who encourages all site visitors to understand deeply, think critically, act creatively, pursue passionately, relate ethically, & use wisely. Dr. Merritt is an American educator and researcher who lives and works in the Italian-speaking region of Switzerland (Ticino).